Opinions on Payware

[Dave71K]

Hi everyone!

For some reason I have something inside me that's fighting against me buying payware addons for FSX.

I have REX but I feel you get SO much with REX it was almost like buying a whole new game so worth it.

I'm now considering upgrading from the Free EGCC scenery by UK2000 to the Payware version. However I'm really not sure if it's worth it.

Has anyone any opinions about payware scenery. Has it actually added anything tangible to the sim other than there's now more fences and vehicles around and a few static airliners. Has it improved your experience at all?

Obviously payware aircraft are a different story they will obviously add a lot to the game but most are more expensive than I'm willing to pay. So I'm mainly interested in peoples experiences of payware airport scenery.

Also I hope this is in the right section! sorry if it isn't!

Thanks!

[jime59]

I highly recommend the ORBX sceneries. They are without a doubt, well worth it. 

http://fullterrain.com/about.html


jime

[Dave71K]

Thanks however I'm more interested about people opinions of whether they enhance the sim in a noticeable way other than adding eye candy. 

Orbx's scenery are amazing however I fly mainly in the U.K and Europe so at this point there's nothing there for me. However I do fly to Australia occasionally so the YMML would definitely be on my to buy list.

I'm still unconvinced as to whether they add to the sim.

I try to make my flying as realistic as possible using real world routes with the correct a/c and SID and STARS when I can.

[CHUCK79]

In short..........YES!
Default FSX scenery/land class/terrain mesh....frankly, sucks
There is some good freeware scenery like, Kauai by Rich Sorochak.......and Grand Canyon, Death Valley by OzX


As far as payware.......

Like jime59 said.......OrbX scenery is top notch
I also like to fly photo real scenery by Mega Scenery Earth

Great scenery combined with REX will change your whole experience


Chuck

[Dave71K]

In short..........YES!
Default FSX scenery/land class/terrain mesh....frankly, sucks
There is some good freeware scenery like, Kauai by Rich Sorochak.......and Grand Canyon, Death Valley by OzX


As far as payware.......

Like jime59 said.......OrbX scenery is top notch
I also like to fly photo real scenery by Mega Scenery Earth

Great scenery combined with REX will change your whole experience


Chuck

Thanks Chuck!
I will look into Mega Scenery Earth I imagine that will add far more to the experience than a single payware airport.
Just a question...What's the difference between REX and MSE? If MSE updates the mesh does that mean REX is just doing clouds and water?

[timestamp=1316732413]
Quick update to that. I just looked at MSE and I understand now. It looks amazing to be frank. Sadly 90% of my flying is in Europe which they don't appear to cover yet. Lets hope one day they do!

[patchz]

You should also look at GEX and UTX for Europe. It is not on a par with good photo real or ORBX, but it is a very noticeable improvement.

[Mictheslik]

For Britain you can't go wrong with the UK2000 airports....I'd look at the bundled ones released as VFR Airports in 3 volumes by Horizon. You get about 30 airfields in each volume.

http://www.flightstore.co.uk/search.htm ... ds&x=0&y=0

I'm also a big fan of photographic scenery, especially for VFR flying where you rely on landmarks. You can purchase these in the same way (as volumes)

http://www.flightstore.co.uk/search.htm ... ry&x=0&y=0

They take a lot of HDD space though.

A friend uses some freeware software called Tileproxy that uses Bing maps's aerial photos in FSX. It's worth a google but it gives you the quality of payware photo scenery for free providing you set it up properly and have a decent net connection.

.mic

[Fozzer]

As I cast my mind back into the very distant past, (FS '98 onwards), the only flight sim payware I have ever purchased are:

FS Navigator. (FS 2002 + 2004).
LAGO FSSE and FSE. (FS 2002 + 2004).
GE Pro. (FS 2004).
REX. (FS 2004).
FS Panel Studio. (FS 2004).
FS Repaint (FS 2004).

That's about the lot!
All my other aircraft and scenery are both default and freeware.... ...!

..as most of my daily flight simming occurs over the continental USA, I am presently considering this for FS 2004:

Ultimate Terrain USA (FS 2004).
http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=utusa

...and hoping that it works with the default/add-on FS 2004 "Autogen" scenery at ground level....
I like the diverse USA scenery, it is very well represented in the sim, and I am very familiar with all the locations!

Recommended for a (very) low flying Cessna 150/Microlight pilot?...What do you reckon?

..I DONT want flat; "photographic" scenery!...(been there, had it, (free+payware), don't like it, binned it!).

Paul... ...!

P.S...can anyone who has UT USA confirm the the scenery is just a more accurate representation of the default MS "Autogen" scenery....and NOT just new, flat; "photographic" (Google Map) scenery?

[Dave71K]

For Britain you can't go wrong with the UK2000 airports....I'd look at the bundled ones released as VFR Airports in 3 volumes by Horizon. You get about 30 airfields in each volume.

http://www.flightstore.co.uk/search.htm ... ds&x=0&y=0

I'm also a big fan of photographic scenery, especially for VFR flying where you rely on landmarks. You can purchase these in the same way (as volumes)

http://www.flightstore.co.uk/search.htm ... ry&x=0&y=0

They take a lot of HDD space though.

A friend uses some freeware software called Tileproxy that uses Bing maps's aerial photos in FSX. It's worth a google but it gives you the quality of payware photo scenery for free providing you set it up properly and have a decent net connection.

.mic

Thanks for all the responses everyone!

I'm very interested in the VFR gen x scenery, I'm just disappointed how it doesn't update the Autogen. I very rarely leave the north of England when I'm flying VFR normally out of Barton Aerodrome. But the idea of a totally featureless landscape even if it is photo real seems abit dull.

I'm a big fan of the UK2000 airport and I have most the freeware versions. I tried out the full demo for Manchester airport and it was amazing I was shocked by the level of detail and how it some how managed to model every detail and even airport traffic with out really changing my frame rate! 

However I think UTX and GEX are more what I'm after. I generally fly short haul route or our EGCC or EGGP.

what is the different between UTX and GEX from what I've read they appear to be virtually the same thing, but it seems you should have both to get the best out of them :S

[pfevrier]

As far as UK and European sceneries...

I use UK2000 airports and VFR airports sceneries. Also VFR London X by Aerosoft (better have a powerful computer for that one...), and the best ones I have are by Earth Simulations and they are Alderney, Scilly Isles and Guernsey... They are jewels in my opinion.

As far as the rest of Europe, I use France VFR (for France, duh...  ), Aerosoft for the rest mostly, and you can get great Alps freeware, just google Frank Dainese  you will not be disappointed by those mountains, I promise.

Personally I think that payware added a ton to my flying experience. Like some others above me said, the default FSX mesh and scene are really lacking. Once you use payware, it's hard to go back. It does cost a pretty penny... but at the same time you reward someone who has spent A LOT of time trying to make things right for tbe enjoyment of your hobby... A matter of opinion I guess. Some people value aircraft, other scenery, and others like me like a package of both  All I can see is:
- Read reviews
- Look at screenshots
- Check out youtube for the scenery/aircraft you're interested in

[jon157uk]

"It does cost a pretty penny... "

I can't argue with that mate! In my honest opinion it's a bit of a rip off half the time and some, if not all, most of the payware stuff is totally over priced. You end up paying more for 'one lump of scenery' than you paid for the damn sim!
Each to their own of course but if you went around adding the things that people convince you that you'll need we'd be flying a real aeroplane at less cost.

(Having said that, I bought an Aerosoft Beaver but that's just because I love those things and the Aerosoft one is the best I've seen yet).

[pfevrier]

To me though, FSX was created by Microsoft which makes a ton of money on other things... When you look at payware, stuff that's made by small studios can't really sell products for $5... I wish they did but I understand that they are trying to make a few dollars for their trouble. Right now I love Earth Simulations, it seems like a 2-3 person company and it really feels like whatever they release is a labor of love. They released only a few products, but all the ones I own from them I love! And so they have enriched my flying experience with their product and I feel okay paying to hopefully support some future great work and help keep them in business. I don't know, it's just my 2 cents so please don't shoot me  and btw I only used one company's name. That was just an example, but if you want I can give you quite a few other names to add to that list 

[jon157uk]

Yea, I can understand that point of view pfevrier but I think these small software companies would make far more sales if they weren't priced so high. I'd probably look at buying some of it if there was more U.K. stuff around, I'm a lot like Dave71 here in respect that 99% of my flying is done around Britain and Ireland with maybe an odd trip across to northern France so paying out (what I consider to be) over the top prices for scenery that I'm not going to see is pointless anyway. Oh and as for my Aerosoft Beaver, I got it off eBay for

[Dave71K]

I started this topic to see if I could make up my mind about getting some payware. So here are my thoughts not a few days on.

From what I've read, watched and researched I've decided against any huge mesh adapting addon. Plus I already have REX which will do fine. I'm not that bothered if a road in Northern Spain is out of place because I'm normally whipping over it at 30,000ft flying 'an always on time' Ryan Air flight to Barcelona or one of the other Mediterranean holiday destinations.

As for individual airports I have the free version of UK2000s EGCC which is very good and I tried the demo of the payware one and that was incredible (It even had the place I work at across the road from the airport which was pretty cool), so I may buy that at some point because it's my main hub.

[Dave71K]

Here's a good one I've just seen Traffic X is